Wheel-lug cleaner



Noy. 25, 1930. J. THIES ET AL 1,732,637

WHEEL LUG' CLEANER Filed May 24, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 illllllllll M IIHIIIIIIIHIIIHHLLL IIIIIHIIIIHIHHIH Grimm a ll'fu'as mm Now 25', 1930. J. THIES ET AL I 1,732,637 I WHEEL LUG CLEANER I Filed May 24. 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 5? q i L; .9 ll

Jb/UZ Thifis and 3mm Q UNITE s latentecl Nov. 25, 1930 i i i i JOHNI IHIEs-AND FRANK THIES, or nnrcninsoiv', KANSAS WHEEL-mine CLEANER Application filed May 24,

T his invention relates to an attachment for tractor wheels designed to keep the wheel lugs'clean, one of the objectsbeing to provide g a device of this character which will strip clay and other accumulations of material off the lugs as the wheel rotates, said cleaner being heldinposition on the wheel by the lugs on WlllCl'llbflCliS. g

Another object is to provide a device of this character which can be applied readily and which, after once being placed in position, requires no further attention.

Vith the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear. as the description proceeds the invention resides inthe combi nation and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter disclosed and claimed it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the'invention herein disclosed may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing i from the spirit of the invention. In the accompanying drawings the preferred form ofthe invention has been shown. In said drawings, i

I Figure 1 is a side elevation of a tractor wheel having applied thereto a cleaner such as constitutes the present invention. a

Figure 2 is a rear elevation of the wheel and cleaner, the fender to which the scrapers are connected being in section. c v Figure 3 is a side elevation of the cleaning ring. i

Figure 4 is a side elevation of the used at the front of the wheel. v

Figure 5 is a front elevation of said guide. Figure 6 is, a side elevation of the rear scraper. l V

Figure 7 is a rear elevation thereof. l Figure 8 is a side elevation of a tractor having a modified form of cleaner applied'thereto.,

Figure 9 is a front elevation thereof. Figure 10 is a side elevationof one of the rings forming a part of the cleaner.

Figure 11 is an enlarged section through a portion of one of the rings and-the chain cooperating therewith.

Referringto the figuresby characters of reference WV designates a tractor wheel pro-.

guide 1928. Serial No. 280,330.

I connecting plates may be provided with laterallyextending fingers 8 adapted toproject between the adjacent lugs L. The fingers on one ring will extendtoward one side'of the wheel'while the fingers on theother ring eX- tend toward the other side of the wheel. The internal diameter ofeacli ring is greater than the external diameter of the wheel to which it is applied so that any point on each ring is thus free to shift radially relative to the wheel on which it is mounted. At no time, however, will; any partsof either ringextcnd eyond' the outer ends of any of thelugs L.

For the purpose of holding the rings spaced apart adj acent. the front of the wheel, a spacing strip 4 is extended therebetween,

.one end of this stripbeing fastened to the fender F by bolts or the like while theiother end is bent to form a tongue 5 adapted to rest on the periphery of the wheel'between the series of lugs. Rings 1 are held spaced apart at the rear of the wheel bythe tongue 6 of a scraping blade T. This tongue is attached tothe fender F while the blade engages the periphery of the wheel WV between the rings 1. It will be obvious that in use thilowerportions of the rings will be gripped between the'periphery ofthe wheeland the surface on which the wheel is mountedfl Thus the remaining portions of the rings willbe held spaced from the periphery of the wheelas shown inFigure 1. As the wheel rotatesthe lugs L will tend topiclrupclods, of dirt,

stones and the like which ordinarily would be carried aroundthe wheel therewith. By providing the loose rings, however, these collected portions will be pushed outwardly by the thrust exerted thereagainst by the rings and, therefore, they will be loosened from the lugs and not clog them. Instead they will fall from the lugs before they again reach the ground during the rotation of'the wheel. 4 By providing the fingers 3 theringsare prevented from rotating on the wheel except to a slight extent, and, therefore, there is no danger of the rings becoming displaced. The scraping blade 7 of course acts to forcibly remove from between the rings any material adhering to the periphery of the wheel.

Instead of using the rings heretofore de scribed a modified arrangement such as illustrated in Figures 8 to ll can be employed. This cleaner requires the use of spaced annular series of lugs L provided with openings O. A pair of rings 8 is arranged on the aeripherv of the wheel between the lugs, each ring being provided with laterally extending lingers 9 regularly spaced and extending between the adjacent lugs. These rings, like those heretofore described, are of a diameter greater than that of the wheel to which they are applied so that any point on each thus can shift radially relative to the wheel.

A chain 10 is extended through the openings O in the lugs of each series and this chain extends across the lingers 9, the outer ends of the fingers being preferably outturned as shown. Thus when the rings are shifted relative to the wheel by contact with the supporting surface, the chains will also be shifted within the slots O in which they are mounted. Consequently the rings will act not only to expel accumulations of material on the wheel rim at points between the lugs but also will strip materials adhering to the lugs.

A scraper indicated generally at 11, similar to the scraper 7, and a guide indicated generally at 12, which is similar to the guide at, can be used in connection with this modified construction although such use is not always essential with this structure because the out-turned ends of the fingers 9 coo aerate with the chain to prevent the rings 8 from moving too closely together.

' What is claimed is:

1.. The combination with a tractor wheel having spaced annular series of lugs, of a ring mounted on the wheel between the lugs, the internal diameter of the ring being greater than the external diameter of the wheel, any point on said ring being shiftable radially relative to the wheel, and laterally extending fingers on the ring extending between the lugs.

2. The combination with a tr ctor wheel or the like having spaced annular series of lugs,

wheel and loosely mounted on the wheel between the lugs, said rings being shiftablc relative to the lugs by contact with a supporting surface, laterally extending means on the rings and between the lugs for limiting the rotation of the rings relative to the wheel, a guide member engaging the periphery of the wheel and extending between the rings, a scraper engaging the periphery of the wheel and extending between the rings, said scraper and guide member being disposed adjacent opposed portions of the wheel.

l. The combination with the wheel of a tractor or the like having spaced annular rics of slotted lugs, of rings interposed between the lugs shiftablc radially relative to the wheel, projecting portions on the rings extending between the lugs, and endless :[lexible devices extending through the slotted lugs of the respective series for engagement by said projecting means and shiftable therewith.

The combination with the wheel of a tractor or the like having an annular series of lugs, there being apertures within the lugs, of a ring loosely mounted on the wheel, any point on each ring being shiftable radially relative to the wheel, laterally extending projecting portions on the ring between the lugs, and an endless flexible member extending through the apertures in the lugs and around the wheel, said member contacting with the projecting portions and being shiftable therewith and with the ring relative to the wheel and lugs.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own, we have hereto aflixed our signatures.

JOHN THIES. FRANK THIES. 

